These Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars are exceptionally thick and creamy with the best blueberry sauce swirled throughout, all baked on top of a buttery graham cracker crust! Make them for your next work party or get together with friends!
Using a medium-size sauce pan over medium-high heat, bring the fresh blueberries, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar to a boil, stirring constantly.
As you continue to stir, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. The blueberries will break down into juices as the rest of the mixture thickens.
Remove from heat and pour into a glass bowl to cool completely.
Graham Cracker Crust
Spray the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with a flour-based baking spray, then (optional) place a parchment paper sleeve into the pan, creasing the 2 sides at the edge so the paper doesn't fall into the batter as it bakes. Lightly spray the parchment paper with the baking spray. Set aside.
Adjust the oven rack to the 2nd level mark (just above center) and preheat the oven to 325ºF.
Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add in the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is combined. The texture of the graham cracker crust will be like a wet sand. You can also combine the two ingredients in a mixing bowl.
14 Graham Crackers (from 1 ½ graham cracker sleeves), 6 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
Spoon the graham cracker crust mixture into the prepared baking pan, pressing down to level the crust using the bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup.
Bake for 8-10 minutes at 325ºF. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly while you make the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake Filling
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until it's smooth, creamy, and light in texture (4-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
16 oz Cream Cheese
Add in the eggs, egg white, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, and sifted all-purpose flour, and beat together until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.
½ cup Granulated Sugar, 2 Large Eggs, 1 Large Egg White, 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 3 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
Assemble the Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Pour the cream cheese filling over top of the slightly cooled graham cracker crust. If needed, level and smooth with a spatula.
Spoon the cooled, thickened blueberry sauce over top of different areas of the cheesecake filling. Then, with a knife or toothpick, swirl the sauce around to create a marbled effect.
Place in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes at 325ºF. It's okay to remove the cheesecake bars from the oven if they still have a little jiggle to the center.
Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake bars to cool completely before moving them to the refrigerator to chill and set for a minimum of 2 hours or—the best option—overnight.
Keep the blueberry swirl cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze the bars individually. See notes for details.
Video
Notes
Adding a parchment paper sleeve isn't required, but it is recommended if you find cutting them outside of the pan to be easier.
If adding the parchment paper sleeve, I recommend spraying the pan with a little baking spray before and after adding the paper.
It's totally okay for the center of your blueberry cheesecake bars to have a little jiggle to it when you remove it from the oven.
If you don't want to use fresh blueberries, you can use frozen, unthawed blueberries. If using frozen, you may find your homemade blueberry sauce to be on the thinner side.
The cheesecake bars need to be cooled completely before you place them in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 hours or—my preference—overnight.
To freeze the cheesecake bars individually, carefully wrap each one twice in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag or tightly sealed container where they'll keep for up to 1 month. The cheesecake bars should be cooled completely and chilled before freezing.